This painting, by the French artist Raymond Auguste Quinsac Monvoisin (c. 1790-1870), was inspired by stories about the ancient Greek mythological figure, Telemachus—the son...
Balthild, a future wife and mother of kings, emerged from obscure origins in the early 7th century. Also called Balthilde, Bathild and Baldhild, she...
In the early 8th century, a decorated warrior and administrative official named Sergios came to be appointed as the Byzantine governor of Constantinople’s imperial...
This painting, by the French artist Raymond Auguste Quinsac Monvoisin (c. 1790-1870), was inspired by stories about the ancient Greek mythological figure, Telemachus—the son...
This painting, by the French artist Raymond Auguste Quinsac Monvoisin (c. 1790-1870), was inspired by stories about the ancient Greek mythological figure, Telemachus—the son...
(The Combat of Ares and Athena (cropped), by Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), via Creative Commons)
The ancient Greek god of war, Ares, remains one of...
In many languages worldwide, the words used to designate peoples and settlements can often be quite literal. Warriors fight in wars; buccaneers were named...
Emperor Wu (r. 141-87 BCE), like any powerful emperor, wanted to receive deference and respect from the weaker realms that neighbored his empire. One...
Online quote aggregators and databases of dubious attribution accuracy often claim that Mark Twain (the alias used by Samuel Clemens, c. 1835-1910) stated, “It is...
